You know you want my life

Such a fun morning! (Please read that sentence with much sarcasm.) Wake up at 5:30 AM to workout, only to have my friend text me at 5:43 (when I'm already driving to pick her up) that she's skipping. Like it was my choice to get up so dang early.

Come home, make Hans's lunch and feed the pipsqueak who won't look at me since I was gone when she woke up.

Finally sit to enjoy a semi-quiet morning and check the computer. IM with a friend about Girl Scout cookies when snap!, a crack magically appears on the front face of the aquarium from the top edge to a bottom corner. This wonderful aquarium is the same one Hans was so excited about two weeks ago and had to immediately set up while we have the Deans here a few more hours before they ditch us. The same tank he and the kids have been agonizing over with numerous trips to the pet store for appropriate plants and fish. There has been at least 6 trips to PetSmart alone since they have to decide type of fish as well as fish aggressiveness, diet and size.

For the record, fish are fine. I just don't happen to care one way or the other about them and aside from feeding, have no interest in their maintenance. I am the lonely minority in my house. I get to wait and wait to begin a movie while Hans parks his fanny in front of the tank, mesmerized by the blue and gold gouramis. (You really should be impressed that I can not only identify a gourami now, but can also determine gender. My skills are astounding.)

The water starts spraying through the crack like a hose when you put your thumb over the end. Pure chaos. Abby's trying to scoop fish (into what?), I'm yelling for Eli to grab every towel he can find while dialing Hans to figure out what to do. One 18-gallon bin and a dozen towels later, all the fish, frogs and plants are safe, and the floors are dry with only one piece of furniture requiring movement. Plants had to come out of the tank so I could catch the fish. Full heebie-jeebies when one bumped my hand (I'm sure it was the dojo-eel fish) while pulling the grass. Ew. And then Mom calls to ask about international shipping charges. All this before the bus came for the kids at 8:45!

3 hours later we are down to about 4 inches of water left in the tank leaking slowly from the aluminum tape job I desperately applied to buy some time to rescue fish. Everyone wishes to have this much excitement in the morning. Can you imagine if Mom had to deal with this? She probably wouldn't even have had her two cups of coffee in her yet.

Morning with Emmett

Sunday is Meta's morning to sleep in, so I am up with Emmett this morning. We were sitting on the couch having a quiet morning, when Emmett said he wanted to watch Sesame Street. I said that Sesame Street wasn't on, and he answered, "Then I want to watch KATU News."

Oh My

Happy birthday, Papa!!

I am now officially voiceless, a fact Eli finds quite hilarious. Hazel is whispering back at me when she's not wailing about some perceived atrocity I've committed.

So glad so many came this weekend! I know it wasn't for me even though it felt like it was. Wish Robyn and all could have been here too. Then she'd see my little bonus Hazel isn't quite so sweet and angelic as she seems. She really is the constant in the 2-year-old brouhahas. I'm happy you could see and hear how my smiley pipsqueak can turn into a screeching, shrieking, tantrum-throwing twit at the drop of a hat (or the attempt at door opening). She has provided great entertainment since Hans set up the new aquarium yesterday, rocking in her chair, excitedly telling us about the "beesh" and their antics. Haven't caught all the words she's saying, but we had a good 10 minutes of them last night. "I sit. Mama, beesh! Meow-meow, beesh! Abby! Abby! Abby! Beesh! Beesh eat!"

Meta is amazing. Nothing ever seems to slow her down. She gets everyone's lunch requests cooking before I even figure out what Hazel got herself into. Then she's off again, corralling kids, hiking on the beach, rowing the boat, climbing cliffs...all with her cute 7-month basketball attached to her middle, unnoticable from behind. Good job on picking her, Alec.

I love my nieces and nephews! Those Dean girls are very, very entertaining. Maggie may have tried on every girlie costume in our house. She can sure glam it up. Evelyn is a funny snugglebug. Thank you Erin for letting those two spend the night over here. I loved seeing their happy faces in the morning.

Looking forward to pictures of the weekend's craziness. Wish I had a cool camera like Alec or Erin. Oh well. Think of me on my quiet, kids-will-probably-get-away-with-everything day since they "didn't hear" me say anything contrary to their intentions. On another note, I did succeed at my weigh-in this morning, despite all the cake and glorious food this weekend. Still competing in my "Biggest Loser" contest at Curves. Yay me!